Mauricio Pochettino Insists Kyle Walker 'Deserves a Good Reception' at Tottenham on Saturday

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has insisted that he hopes Spurs fans give Manchester City right-back Kyle Walker a warm welcome this weekend ahead of the Premier League clash at Wembley. 

It will be Walker's first time returning to play in front of Spurs fans since joining City last summer in a £50m deal. It was a controversial deal that saw Pochettino admit his disappointment after the England international told the Argentine that he wanted to leave the club during a crucial point in the Premier League title chase. 

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A mixed reception from the home fans at Wembley is expected, with some of the Spurs faithful holding his decision against him. 

However Pochettino has admitted he hopes to see Walker get a good reception, whilst also opening up about his relationship with the full-back since his departure.

"Of course, the fans feel disappointed that he decided to move to City. But in the end that is human nature, that you want, sometimes you need a new challenge, a new experience and new motivation," he said.

"For me, always Kyle will be a player that did a lot for the club, did a lot for us in three years and of course the club did a lot for him and we did many things for him. The relationship is good with us, with the club."

He added: "He deserves a good reception. It's natural sometimes for the fans to be disappointed when they love some player and the decision is to move.

"But I think after seven or eight months after that thing happened he deserves a good reception from the fans. I think the fans love him, disappointed in the moment that he left, but he deserves a good reception from the fans."